DETROIT -- In theory, the Chicago Blackhawks were right where they needed to be.
With their backs to the wall and down a couple of goals yet coming on strong in the third period, presumably poised for another one of those explosive, head shaking comebacks that have been the defining part of their magical run to the Western Conference finals.
Problem is, theories don't always pan out, and more important, that hocus pocus stuff doesn't work on everybody. Particularly on veteran teams with the kind of talent and playoff savvy of the Detroit Red Wings, who actually know a thing or two about taking control of things, especially when games are on the line.
Like in third periods that the Red Wings, who are not given to blowing leads as a general rule, have absolutely owned in these playoffs.
"I know we've been able to come back quite a bit so far, but the truth is that when you give a team like the Red Wings a couple-of-goals lead, it's probably not going to happen very often if at all," said Chicago forward Kris Versteeg, who tied the game early in the third period before the Red Wings erupted and went on to a 5-2 win in the series opener.
"They're a really good team and they've played with each other for so long, they know where they are on the ice and that's why they can make the kinds of plays they do. Maybe we handed it to them a bit, they took advantage because they know how to win, and we're still learning."
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| The experienced Red Wings take care of business in the Western finals opener. (Getty Images) |
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The Blackhawks had nearly a week off leading up to this game and in the estimation of veteran defenseman Brian Campbell probably developed a few bad habits during what he described as a lackadaisical week of practice. It wasn't necessarily apparent at the outset because the Blackhawks came out letting loose the kind of pent-up energy you might expect from a team that has been idle that long and actually dominated the first few minutes of play with their speed and hard-charging attack.
In fact, Chicago nearly scored on the second shift of the game when Versteeg ripped a shot off the goal post, and then did go ahead a few minutes later when Adam Burish took advantage of a rare Detroit miscue. But for the Blackhawks, going ahead has not necessarily been a good thing in these playoffs since only two of their first eight wins in this postseason have come when they scored first. And in this case, it seemed to create a bigger problem by getting the Red Wings -- notorious for slow starts in these playoffs and having just wrapped up a seven-game series against Anaheim -- into gear a lot faster than they otherwise might have.
"I thought we were in trouble really off the start of the game, whether it was engagement, coming off a big series, not as much time, whatever, we weren't very good and they were taking it to us," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "Then we settled in and got playing real well after that point."
Of course it helped to have a serious momentum changer in the form of a goal by Daniel Cleary, who took advantage of a giveaway by Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook and raced down the wing before beating Nikolai Khabibulin with a high shot that seemed to surprise the Blackhawks goalie.
"You know you can't have loose plays or critical turnovers, and I think when you win the faceoff in the offensive zone with a 1-0 lead and all of a sudden it's in your net, that's a tough thing," said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville.
• Series: Wings 1, 'Hawks 0 | Talk!
Especially since the turnovers -- 11 by Chicago to Detroit's one -- became habit forming throughout the rest of the game. But the bigger problem for Chicago on this day was the inability of its big guns Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to create anything in the way of offense. Toews managed just three shots while Kane had none, and both were on the ice for three of the Red Wings goals.
"We had some good backside pressure where the defensemen can stand up at the blue line or right at the blue line when the forwards are back checking hard, and that makes our job a little easier when we try to deflect them or push them to the outside," Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom said. "Those guys are good at hanging on to the puck, but the guys out there did a really good job against them."
And against everyone else for that matter. Chicago did manage 32 shots, but 14 of them came in the third period, half of them when desperation set in after Detroit had upped the lead to a couple of goals. But this time there was no dramatic comeback to be had.
"Our team has responded to different challenges through this process, so we move on," Quenneville said." But we've got to be way better."
